Big data, or large, complex sets of data that are difficult to process using traditional data processing applications, and three dimensional (3-D) representations are expanding areas, increasing the value in efficient ways to visualize the data. Good data visualization allows non-experts to understand and interpret the meaning behind a set of given data. Good visualization techniques pick out the critical information and put it in a consumer-friendly model. Bar graphs, line graphs, scatter plots, and pie charts are each ways to visually represent sets of data.
A pie chart is a circular chart divided into sectors, illustrating numerical proportion. The arc length of each sector is proportional to the quantity it represents. Pie charts are used to concisely represent the relative proportion of a set of values across various categories. Programs, such as EXCEL and gnuplot, can create pie charts, as well as 3-D pie charts.